IF YOU GO

- David Armstrong, OF THE EXAMINER STAFF

Published
4:00 am PST, Sunday, January 4, 1998

1998-01-04 04:00:00 PDT SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA -- * Getting There: United has daily flights to Sydney from SFO. Qantas, Australia's flag carrier, flies nonstop between Los Angeles and Sydney twice daily, with connecting flights to San Francisco on Reno Air. Regardless of how you fly, there's no getting around the travel time between Sydney and California: 14 hours heading west, 13 returning with strong Pacific tail winds. The Sydney airport is 30 minutes south of the central business district. Be sure to pick up the free 130-page Arrivals Guide booklet in the International Terminal.

* Getting Around: Public transport is the best bet in car-clotted Sydney. A three-day adult SydneyPass gives unlimited bus, train and ferry travel for $43. (Note: All prices are in U.S. dollars.) Sydney buses go virtually everywhere, as do CityRail trains. Sydney ferries are fun, leisurely and justly famous. JetCat catamarans halve travel time on Sydney Harbor. Fast RiverCat boats zip up the Parramatta River to Olympic Park and elsewhere. Fast boats cost more, but nothing is expensive. Transport information is available by phone at 131-500 (6 a.m.-10 p.m. daily)

* Lodging: Sydney has a wide range of accommodations in every category. Even most luxury hotels are affordable by U.S. standards. The per person charge at the five-star Regent Hotel, near the waterfront in The Rocks, is $77. The Regent has a prime location and, at 34 stories, the best harbor views. Other luxe hotels, such as the InterContinental and Ritz-Carlton ($89 per person), are in the central business district. Mid-range hotels ($45-$65 per person) are plentiful, as are rental houses and apartments. Budget choices include the downtown YWCA, near Hyde Park, and the backpacker haunts in King's Cross. Prices drop away from the business district.

* What to do: Sydney Explorer Buses make 27 stops at prime sites and sights. Riders can disembark and catch the next bus, running every 20 minutes. Adult day passes cost $13.50 ($9.75 for children 4-16, free for kids under 4).

* For more information: In San Francisco, several private companies, listed in the phone directory, specialize in travel to Australia and New Zealand. In Los Angeles, the Australian Tourist Commission is at (310) 229-4870. In Australia, the Sydney Convention & Visitors Bureau is at 011-61-2-9331-4045.&lt;